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In the late 1990s and again circa 2007, I met the esteemed Washington "Superlawyer," lobbyist Vernon Jordan, who had performed some legal work for a client I represented, the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals.
We were originally introduced by our mutual friend Chuck Manatt, an Iowan who had served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Jordan, who died March 1, was a black man who had endured outright bigotry for decades. As a student in Atlanta whose father was a postal worker, Jordan attended segregated schools. However, because his enterprising mother owned a successful catering business, he became acquainted with well-connected, elite southerners. After being rejected, because of his race, for a summer internship with an insurance company after his sophomore year at DePauw University, he returned home to work as a chauffeur and household aide to the aging segregationist Robert Maddox – a wealthy banker and former Atlanta mayor. During breaks, Jordan read books in the well-stocked library of Maddox’s mansion - prompting stern rebukes from his boss.

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